Three Major Career Decisions

Even while you are in your post-secondary program you will be experiencing a process of career development. Careers are built through a series of decisions, not with just one single choice. During your years in post-secondary education you will face three major career choices which will focus your career. Click on the diagram below to find out more about each decision:

As you begin to focus on your career direction, you will find that all occupations are open to you; of course, some would require further education and training. Theoretically all the different occupations listed in the National Occupational Classification (NOC), which is the Canadian dictionary of occupational titles, would be possible choices for you.

Your first decision is “What will I study?” This is a critical decision. You may make this decision before you enter a post-secondary program, but many students change their minds during their studies. This is normal. It is estimated that approximately 50 percent of students reflect on this decision in the early years of their program and choose to change their area of study. So good advice is always to keep many options open, with as much flexibility as possible so you can change your area of study easily, if you choose to in the future. The decision of an educational program will narrow down your occupational choices but it will not limit you to just one field, no matter how career-specific your program is. All post-secondary students develop generalist skills during their studies.

The second major career decision you face is: “What occupational areas will I focus on?” As you enter the final year of your program you will need to determine three or four occupational areas that you would like to be employed in. It is important in a competitive market that you target particular occupations to focus your job search. You will need to produce resumes and covering letters that are targeted to the needs of specific employers, with a portfolio to demonstrate the skills you are offering. You will also need to be ready in an interview to link your skills and background with the requirements of a particular job and have specific examples to illustrate how you have used your skills in the past. These strategies and other specific job search techniques will assure you of receiving various offers of employment as you near the completion of your program.

Your third career decision at the end of your post-secondary education will be: “What offer will I accept?” Remember offers of employment may not come as full-time, secure positions but may come as contracts, part-time or project oriented employment. Of course some of you may sidestep that final decision by choosing to continue your education further, but then you are simply recycling back and starting the decision-making process again or by taking some time-out before beginning employment. At some point, though, you will need to face the decision of choosing an employment offer, even if it is after your Ph.D.!

This model is based on a stereotypical student progressing smoothly through all three steps, but of course there will be individual variation. Some students may begin a program but then decide to change their area of study part way through. Others may choose to take some time off during their studies to experience travel, employment or to fulfill family commitments. Not everyone will complete all of the steps. Career development will occur throughout your years of study. Some of it occurs unconsciously as a part of adult development but some of it requires you consciously putting in both physical and emotional energy. As you progress through your program you will be exploring and learning more about yourself – what you like and dislike; your field of studies/areas of specialization; and the world of work – different occupational alternatives. This process will help you to crystallize your career choice into an area that will suit you and bring you satisfaction.

There will always be a level of risk, as you can never be certain before you begin a program or a position, that it will be right for you. You also need to allow for happenstance¹ that things will happen by chance and change your plans and direction. Be open to happenstance, as it often can lead you into new and exciting directions. Career planning is designed to help minimize the negative risk factor, to increase the probability of success and also to help to develop contingency plans in case your first choice does not work out.

¹Mitchell, K., Levin, A., & Krumboltz, J. (1999). Planned happenstance: Constructing unexpected career opportunities. Journal of Counseling and Development, 77, 115-124.

© Sharon D. Crozier, 2001